"This continued conveyor-belt of executions by the government of Iraq is simply deplorable," her spokesman, Rupert Colville, said on Sunday, after 26 people were hanged.

"Iraq's justice system still has huge deficiencies which mean that resorting to even a small number of executions is risking a grave and irredeemable miscarriage of justice," he said. "When people are executed by the dozen, it means that such miscarriages of justice are virtually certain to be occurring."